Allotment death: Victim 'murdered by fellow plot-holder'

Lea Adri-Soejoko was secretary for the allotments where her body was found

A widow was beaten and strangled with a lawnmower cable by a fellow allotment committee member, a court heard.

Lea Adri-Soejoko, 80, was found dead at the north-west London allotments she was secretary for in February 2017.

The killer must have been a tenant at Colindale allotments because they had a key to padlock the shed Mrs Adri-Soejoko was found in, prosecutors said on the first day of the trial.

Committee member Rahim Mohammadi, 41, from Hackney, denies murder.

Mrs Adri-Soejoko - also known by her maiden name, Hulselman - was reported missing at 01:40 GMT on 28 February.

Her body was found 20 minutes later.

The grandmother's own set of allotment keys were in the pocket of the coat she was wearing, the jury heard.

Prosecutor John Price QC said the shed padlock could not simply be snapped shut, so the killer must have had a key.

Mrs Adri-Soejoko's body was found in a lock-up store at the allotments

The secretary of Colindale Allotment Association had fractured ribs and bruises after being "beaten up" by Mohammadi, jurors were told.

To stop her reporting the assault, he allegedly throttled her with the starter cord of a Mountfield lawnmower stored in the lock-up where she was found.

Mr Price said Mohammadi was a "keen and active" user of his plot at the allotment.

He was a member of the allotment committee so was issued with various keys, including one to the padlock on the mower shed door, the jury heard.

He was known to Mrs Adri-Soejoko and was seen at the site on the day of the murder, Mr Price added.

The trial at the Old Bailey continues.